December 15

Judge Roger W. Brown sentenced Stephanie Madariaga, 27, of the 3300 block of Clarks Lane, to a five-year suspended prison term and three years probation. Madariaga pled guilty August 27, 2004 to accessory after the fact to a homicide in connection to the murder of Kevin Shields, 26. On July 12, 2003 Jason Moody killed Madariaga's ex-husband, Kevin Shields following an argument in the parking lot of Mr. Shields' apartment complex in the 3300 block of Clarks Lane. Madariaga was present at the time of this incident and fled with Moody out of the country. Authorities at Newark International Airport eventually arrested Moody and Madariaga September 10, 2003 as they were returning to the United States from the Dominican Republic. A Baltimore City jury convicted Moody September 8, 2006 of manslaughter and weapons counts and he is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence.

As part of her plea agreement, Madariaga was to cooperate as a State's witness in Moody's trial. Madariaga did testify at that trial, but the State argued at the hearing that she did not testify in accordance to the plea agreement and therefore should receive the maximum penalty, five years in prison. The state introduced into evidence records of more than 400 telephone calls Moody placed to Magariaga since Moody's arrest including a transcript in which they discussed what specific information she would testify to in her plea agreement.

Ronald N. Stewart, 29, of the 4000 block of W. Belvedere Ave. died Wednesday night. Homicide #258, says Gus (who is scheduled to be on Ed Norris this morning at 10:30 with Julie Bike-o-wits for the Friday "round" table).

In the 3700 block of Woodbine Ave. NW a woman was shot in the thigh about 8:20 p.m. yesterday.

The County PO wounded yesterday in the arm and abdomen was German-sheperd handler David T. Garner.

Police are seeking John R. Ridgley IV, 20, of Eldersburg, who stabbed a 21-year-old Kevin Mason in the neck with a knife.

The funeral yesterday for three-year-old Elija Cozart, killed by hit-and-run driver Lazara Arellano de Hogue.

Freezin hell: Jean Marbella has a piece (on Judge Rasin releasing Walter Lomax after 39 years) that only mentions herself once! (...and is even readable, in a disjointed kind of way.)

Like a dog with a bone, E just can't quit the Timothy Gounaris story.
Today's installment, in which The Goun is hired by the same principal twice.
But did the so-called former Principal of the Year knew Mr. Tim's little secret all along?
And isn't eyeliner on a bald man kind of its own flag?
Stay tuned...

Kiss-off lunches of '06:
Vozzella: "Bob Ehrlich gave a farewell luncheon-interview the other day, but only invited reporters from papers that had endorsed him in last month's election. The outgoing Gov didn't just shut out reporters from The Sun ... [but] also excluded scribes from the Associated Press and the Frederick News-Post, news organizations that don't, as a matter of policy, endorse candidates." (Last item)

'06's final Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee meeting was yesterday, but (we hear) Rod J. Rosenstein, Sviatko, old Conaway and old "Old Jerve" (left) were the only Big Names ... Hamm, Dixon, Mrs. J, and, of course, O'Malley were all no-shows ... the soup was Creamy potato and a report on gangs was released.